This invention relates to obtaining electrical energy from surface waves on bodies of water using piezoelectric material members.
The use of piezoelectric members for converting the mechanical energy of surface waves of bodies of water to electricity is generally known, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,110,630 and 4,317,047. These known arrangements however, are quite impractical owing to poor utilization of the piezoelectric members, whereby only relatively small amounts of electrical power, at a relatively high cost, are obtained.
The present invention makes far better use of the piezoelectric material members, both in the efficiency of the energy conversation process and in the simplicity and low cost of the arrangements used.